Life and Religion

5 reasons you are not losing fat

Could too much exercise be the culprit?

Published Tuesday, August 27, 2013 8:00 pm

by StatePoint

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When weight-loss efforts do not produce the expected results, it can be easy to get discouraged. Perhaps, your methods are outdated or ill advised. Don't be discouraged. Get the basics right and success will follow.

Having trouble sticking to your diet?

When your body doesn’t respond to your efforts the way you expect, it’s easy to lose motivation. But don’t ditch your weight-loss efforts before seeing the results you desire. Getting back on track may be easier than you think.

“Most dieters are using outdated or inefficient methods to reach their goals,” said Dian Griesel, Ph.D.

Griesel, who co-authored “TurboCharged: Accelerate Your Fat Burning Metabolism, Get Lean Fast and Leave Diet and Exercise Rules in the Dust” with brother Tom Griesel. The two are attempting to debunk the myths that many people believe about weight loss.

“Many dieters see slow results due to bad practices rooted in misguided belief,” said Tom. “But if you get the basics right, rapid fat loss is not difficult to achieve and you will see your body transform much more quickly.”

If you are not satisfied with your results, the writing duo is offering five suggestions for why you may not be losing fat fast enough:

The wrong goal: If your goal is an arbitrary number based on your scale, you are already setting yourself up to fail.

Scale weight doesn’t tell you anything about your actual body composition -- how much fat you have and how much you’re losing. Your scale weight could fluctuate for several reasons, such as hydration level, water weight or muscle loss.

Setting the right goal and monitoring changes in your body composition is the first key to success.

Water retention: Proper hydration is critical to fat loss and overall health. However, too little or too much water can cause problems. Water intake requirements are influenced by several factors, like weight and activity levels. A good starting point is to consume 1/2 ounce of water per pound of current body weight. Drink at least 16 ounces first thing in the morning and more if you are thirsty.

Too much exercise: Excessive exercise creates stress and can be counterproductive when you’re restricting calories, causing loss of muscle mass.

Low-intensity activities like walking, along with minimal strength training to retain muscle mass, is generally all that’s needed.

Too much of the wrong thing: A healthy diet is the most efficient way to create a caloric restriction and maintain blood sugar levels, which are conducive to fat loss. It also provides all the nutrients you need for optimal health. If you’re not seeing positive changes in body composition, the problem is almost always your diet.

Stress and lack of sleep: Chronic stress can have an adverse effect on hormonal balance, which can hinder fat loss and cause loss of essential lean body mass. Stress and lack of sleep disrupt many delicate physiological functions. Regularly practicing some method of relaxation and getting seven to nine hours of sleep every night will make a big difference in your fat loss efforts.